


The Tale of Alendra Minuetta

by arcadianbel



Category: Rippers - Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 12:32:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8624596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcadianbel/pseuds/arcadianbel





	

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first work in a series about Alendra Minuetta, a character from my Rippers game.
> 
> This arc contains sexual violence, non-con and violence.

Alendra peeled of the bandage with a sigh. The jagged scar underneath had healed enough, and Anthy had cleared her for duties again. A good thing too, in Alendra's opinion. The job in Scotland had not gone well for any of them, and waiting around in the bare lodge had made her irritable, well more irritable than usual. She put on her coat, dropped the bandage off in the lab, and took the bathysphere up to the warehouse.

As usual, the warehouse was deserted, except for the guard dogs Sir E had left behind. Alendra wasn't sure how she felt about the nobleman deciding to leave to tend his estates, but then again, she didn't really understand how the upper crust worked anyway. She pulled down her hat as she left the warehouse, the Limehouse district was rough, and she had a place to be. Her romani skin and mismatched eyes had gotten her into trouble before, but she managed to get to her destination with only being spat at twice.

***

The Black Wolf wasn't where she would usually meet Rafe, they both preferred rougher and cheaper establishments, but she wasn't interested in meeting his usual crowd at the moment. Rafe was sitting at a table, his boots up, looking like he owned the place. Alendra smiled, it was hard to dislike Rafe, with his roguish charm and mischievous mind. In a city that seemed to hate her on principle, Rafe was a true friend, and a welcome distraction after being cooped up for so long.

“Alendra! Your radiance is welcome in this dreary country! If only you had been here last week, I'm sure your presence alone would have melted the snows.” Rafe was as charming as ever. She started to smile, then stopped, she had business to attend to.

“I'm sure your charms work on others, but not today. I have a feeling that that night of fun might have gotten out of hand. How much do I owe, Rafe?” she asked. Alendra's mismatched eyes were hard and serious. Something had changed in the weeks she had been away.

“Shit, girl.” Rafe's eyes scanned the room, “I talked to Rooke a couple of days ago, he knew we were tight, told me that you owed him thirty pounds, said he'd take it from you one way or another”

Alendra growled and touched the baton underneath her coat, “I'd like to see him fucking try.” Alendra knew she was good in a fight, but against Rooke and four or five thugs she'd lose. Alendra sighed, “I don't have that kind of money on me. Do me a favour and get the word out that I'm looking for a job to settle my debt with Rooke. Please Rafe?” The last words came out more pleading than she would like, but Rafe had lots of friends, some of which where shadier than others, and right now she needed to settle her debts and move on.

Rafe smiled wide, giving his dishevelled hair a ruffle. “Sure thing” he said, his eyes sparking. Alendra knew that look, promising fun, danger and trouble all at once. “I might know a few jobs, let me ask around and I'll get back to you. Stay a while, have a drink on me?”

“Na, work's got a meeting I need to be at soon, let me know if something comes up.”

Rafe was genuinely shocked, Alendra had never turned down a drink. Something had happened since she had been away.

***

Once back at the warehouse office, Alendra found most of her lodge waiting for her. Doctor Kingsley was talking to Mr Eden in a low tone near the meeting table. Anthy was sitting in one of the few chairs, staring off into space. Sir E was missing, of course, and Saito was away on business. The Reverend and Mr Statham were recovering and away on business respectively, but there was an unexpected addition to the meeting. Sitting in one of the chairs was one Miss Patricia Fletcher, of the Daily Bugler. Alendra had not seen the newsy since the incident with the wereshark, and wondered what had brought her out to the Limehouse district. Patricia wore a three-piece suit and heeled boots that had fooled Alendra the first time they had met, when she pretended to be a man, albeit one trapped on the warehouse roof by the guard dogs.

“Ah, now that, ahem, everyone is here, we might as well begin...” Mr Eden loved his formality, but Alendra liked the prim and proper man. Alendra drowned out the boring parts of the start of the meeting, lighting a cigarette and watching the tip. When Mr Eden gestured towards the newcomer, Alendra began to pay attention again “Miss Fletcher has asked us here on a matter of some import, and thus I leave this matter in her hands.”

Patricia gave a weak smile and reached into a leather bag, taking out a folder, and emptying its contents onto the table. A dozen or so newspaper clippings fell onto the table. Even Alendra had no trouble reading “SPRING HEELED JACK – MOLESTOR?” in large font on one of the clippings.

“Last night I was visited by a man in a mask, who said that someone was framing his friend, the vigilante Spring Heeled Jack. He seemed to think that we could help” Patricia said.

There was more than one groan from the table. The Masked Crusaders were from far the worst faction the Rippers had, in Alendra's opinion that was the Order of St George, but they were the most colourful, with costumes, gadgets and hidden personas.

Spring Heeled Jack was by far one of the most famous masked crusaders in London, known more for his history of exposing rich businessmen exploiting the poor than fighting monsters. This made Jack popular among the common folk. The man who had visited Patricia was probably Jack's fellow Crusader, Doctor Plague. 

Mr Eden was able to give a good description of Jack, unfortunately, quite close to the descriptions in the papers. The papers described a tall man breathing fire, attacking women from above, before stealing their virtue. Jack's famous spring heels and levitation belt were often used for aerial attacks, and he did use a fire breathing device to scare his enemies. However Mr Eden noted that Jack was known to be quite popular with women, and these attacks would be a radical departure from Jack's usual modus operandi. 

After some initial planning, it was decided that Miss Fletcher would try and find some common link shared by the victims, and the rest would scour the most recent attack site for clues. 

***

The site of the attack was a small alleyway in Clapham, a decent way from the Limehouse Lodge. While Anthy and Dr Kingsley searched the ground, Alendra decided that she would try the roof, perhaps the attacker had left behind a clue from when he leaped down at the woman. With a quick look around, she pulled out one of her hand crossbows, flicked a special bolt into place and fired the hook upwards, the rope trailing out behind. A quick flick set it into the roof, and she scrambled up, almost falling when she startled a cat on the roof. From her new vantage point she had an excellent view of the alley and she could see why the attacker had chosen this spot. It was far enough away from the main roadways that an attack wouldn't be noticed. Alendra scoured the roof, but couldn't find anything useful. The cat that had almost sent her falling was laying nearby, napping most likely. Alendra was on the edge of the adjacent bulding, about to call it quits, when the roof nearby shifted. She heard a grinding sound followed by a damp-sounding crunch. Below her, a man in a dark suit was lying on the ground, his head an unrecognizable gory mess. 

"ohfuckohfuckohfuck **oh fuck** ", the stream of profanities as Alendra scaled back down the side of the building, managing to get her crossbow and grappling hook away just before the local constabulary arrived. The policeman in question looked tired, even his uniform seemed to droop as he inspected the nearby corpse. Alendra and Anthy stayed back while Dr Kingsley spoke to the constable. Anthy pointed out the scuffle marks, especially the markings that could have been made from a large pair of wings. A while later, the doctor walked back, "Two things to note, I think. The first is that the police are seriously considering arming their night patrols if these attacks keep continuing. Secondly, that brick did not fall on accident. Our small impish friend had a hand in this tragedy." 

Alendra lit her cigarette, earning a slight frown from Anthy, but she needed to calm her nerves. This was the first time she had seen the handiwork of the imp first hand. The results were as deadly as the previous times, but somehow this felt closer to home. 

***

After Dr Kingsley was dropped off at the most recent victim's address, helpfully provided by Miss Fletcher, the two girls headed into the nearby Chinese district. Jack was known to indulge in opium from time to time, and Alendra figured there were enough hiding holes to make the chance of finding Jack worth the legwork. Anthy had some local contacts, and they passed on some interesting rumors of a man hiding in a den called the Emperor's Golden Palace. The name did not hold up as the two women entered the run down wooden shack. A quick word with the proprietor, a few pounds changing hands, and they were shown the way down the smokey corridor. Their guide opened the last door, vapor and and something stronger coming out in tendrils in the air. Within lay a very naked man, soaking in a bath, steam rising from the water. Beside the bath was a table scattered with refuse, including an opium pipe.

"Mr Jack I pressume?" Alendra said, eyebrow raised. 

Jack ran his hand through his dark hair, noticing the Alendra and Anthy, "I thought I'd ordered only one, but I'm not going to complain"

"Unfortunately we are not here for that sort of thing" Alendra replied, although she had a wicked sort of gleam in her eye that suggested she was considering that sort of thing. "We share a mutual aquaintaince, a Mr Van Hellsing? We were all at his last party that started with a bang? Your friend Dr Plague asked us to help".

Jack winced, even now the attack on the Van Hellsing mansion was a sore point for most Rippers. "Look, I had nothing to do with whatever's been going on. I'm retired."

"Seems like you are enjoying your retirement." Anthy said, gesturing around the room.

"I was plain old Jack before, and I will be plain old Jack again. Now unless one or both of you wants to join me, I'd suggest you leave." Jack said, lazily pointing towards the door. 

Anthy stormed off, rolling her eyes, yelling "I'll be waiting back at the lodge when you are done".

Alendra strode closer to Jack, bending until she was eye-to-eye with him, whispered, "Maybe when you're cleaned up and not moping about, call on me and we shall see". Splashing water in his face, she turns and leaves, quickly catching back up to Anthy.

***

"My my, haven't you all been busy" Alendra says as she keeps her distance from the array of weaponry in front of her. Several knives, a box of ammunition and a pair of knuckledusters sit on the meeting table in front of her. They all have the dark grey sheen and tingling sensation that comes from being made from cold iron. "Seems we found more about our attacker then?"

[meeting 2]

**

[Fruitless night]

**

{fight]

 


End file.
